There are a number of kinds of cosmetic brushes. One kind of cosmetic brush has a structure in which a brush head is covered and uncovered by motions of opening and closing a cover.
Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0400077 (Oct. 25, 2005) discloses a cosmetic brush tool in which a brush head protrudes forward out of a handle bar so as to be disposed outside the handle bar and retracts backward into the handle bar so as to be received in the handle bar.
Korean Utility Model Publication No. 1982-0000865 (Apr. 26, 1982) discloses a cosmetic brush having a structure which is a slight modification of a general ballpoint pen structure. In this cosmetic brush, if a brush bar encased in a casing is pushed forward, a brush head is exposed as a coil spring contracts. Conversely, if a hook button is pressed, restricting force applied to the coil spring is lifted and thus the brush head retracts into the housing.
There is another disclosure relating to a ballpoint pen type cosmetic brush in addition to that of Korean Utility Model Publication No. 1982-0000865. Specifically, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0304043 (Jan. 30, 2003) discloses a cosmetic lip brush having a ballpoint pen structure invented by applying the ballpoint protruding and retracting mechanism adapted in general ballpoint pens to cosmetic brushes.
The above cosmetic brushes disclosed in the above-mentioned documents (Korean Utility Model Publications and Utility Model Registrations) have a structure in which a ballpoint portion of a ballpoint pen is replaced with a brush portion. Accordingly, hair on the outer side of the brush portion is easily cut or bent because of the friction between the hair and the coil spring. Thus, after a long period of use, the brush is damaged and the quality of the brush deteriorates. That is, the value of the brush as a product becomes low.
Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0310261 (Jun. 27, 2003) discloses a cosmetic brush assembly which is provided in order to overcome the problems of the cosmetic brush disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0304043. That is, in order to solve the problem in which a pusher retracts without any resistance from the state of being protruded, an additional coil spring, which can elastically support a back portion of the pusher, is employed.
However, this cosmetic brush still has a problem in that the hair on the outer side of the brush portion is damaged by the coil spring disposed in the lower position of the brush.
In order to solve the problems encountered in the use of the cosmetic brushes disclosed in the above two utility models, Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0181122 (Feb. 24, 2000) discloses a cosmetic brush having a double spring structure.
In the cosmetic brush disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0181122, a spring is located at a back portion while the spring is located close to the brush portion in the disclosures of Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0304043 and Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0310261.
Further, according to the cosmetic brush disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0181122, a pusher is always elastically supported by an additional spring, and the pusher can protrude forward and retract backward without resistance.
However, the cosmetic brush disclosed in Korean Utility Model Registration No. 0181122 has disadvantages in that it has a complex structure because it employs two springs, it has very limited design flexibility with respect to the appearance thereof, and it is difficult to employ a brush with a small diameter.
As a result, the manufacturing cost of the cosmetic brush is increased.
Reducing the manufacturing cost is a matter of life and death for brush manufacturers who supply brushes to large cosmetics companies, when considering the brush distribution condition that the brushes are generally provided to customers for free. Accordingly, any increase in the manufacturing cost is fatal to existence of the brush manufacturers.